Spotlight Interview with Dr. Benjamin Harris
Location: Monrovia, Liberia
Bio: Dr. Harris works at the Liberia College of Physicians and Surgeons (LCPS). He is a member of the faculty of psychiatry, and he also serves as the president of the College. Before his time at the LCPS, he worked as a World Health Organization consultant developing Liberia’s National Mental Health Policy.
What is your favorite part of your job? What has been a highlight of your career?
Dr. Harris describes teaching as one of his favorite parts of the job. During his time at the LCPS, he has developed a post graduate psychiatry residency training program. This was the first in the country; previously Dr. Harris was the sole psychiatrist in Libera before a second doctor was hired. For the nearly five million Liberians, creating a psychiatry program was essential for the mental health of the country. He explains, “Being the only Libera psychiatrist practicing in the country for some time, having a training program that grooms Liberians to take on the mantle of mental health services is a fulfillment of my dreams.”
How did you begin your career in global mental health?
Dr. Harris worked for the World Health Organization for many years as an international civil servant. However, he believes his career really began when he connected with Massachusetts general Hospital and Harvard Medical Schools Division of Global Psychiatry, lead at the time by Boston Medical Center’s Dr. David Henderson. The team worked with Liberia to develop the first mental health policy for the country. As this relationship has evolved, he began working also with Boston Medical Center and Boston University School of Medicine.
What has been the best part of working with the Global Programs Team at BUMC? Have there been any specific projects that have stood out to you?
Dr. Harris describes the “amazing team of highly-skilled professionals” that he has met during his time working with BUMC. His favorite collaborative project has been the development of the psychiatry residency program in Liberia. Staff from BUMC assist Dr. Harris and Dr. Ojediran with teaching, didactics, and other research projects. Dr. Harris also explains that he has loved collaborating with the Psychiatry and Global departments at BMC on research projects relating to mental health. There have been “a number of publications of relevance to Liberia and global mental health.”
What areas do you see that need improvement within your field? Are there any gaps present that you want to be addressed?
While the development of a psychiatry residency is a fantastic achievement, Dr. Harris wants to expand the program further. “I would love to see the development of specialized united for the various subspecialty areas of psychiatry.” He admits it may take time, but he is “sure we will get there.”
If you had the power to do anything within the field of global mental health, what would it be and why?
Dr. Harris describes that there are significant gaps in mental health treatment and care availability, especially in low- and middle-income countries. He explains, “only about 20% of individuals who require mental health services have access to mental health services and only a percentage of these have quality care.”
Is there any advice you would give to professionals interested in the field of psychiatry and mental health?
Dr. Harris advice emphasizes that “mental health is a noble professional and worthy of pursuit.” Millions of people worldwide have mental disorders and cause “enormous suffering, not only for those burdened by the disorders, but also for significant others and society at large.” The conditions causing these suffering are treatable, and all it takes is a skilled and widely available team of medical professionals to help. The medical field is doing more every day to understand mental disorders, including their biological basis, and the field needs skilled professionals.
By Alexandra Kane, June 2021